IdN v18n2: Street Art Issue — From vandalism to avant-garde

The day when graffiti was reviled as "vandalism" have long been left behind - top street artists are now a big draw for both galleries and collectors. But the original impetus to decorate public space with personal with artistic statements ranging from the revolutionary to the intensely intimate still makes a liberating appeal to these creative types.

Specifications:

Street Art: Guerrilla Style

From vandalism to avant-garde

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, JR and the once much-maligned world of street art now has its own pantheon of pioneers whose work competes with that of more conventional artists for collectors' dollars and gallery space. What started out as "graffiti" and was condemned by many as vandalism has come of age and achieved a high measure of respectability.

But a rebellious streak still runs through most of its practitioners, who revel in turning the streets we live and work in into one huge space for art appreciation - with or without the blessing of officialdom. We interview and show the work of 14 leading such creatives, all of whom have trenchant views on providing art for the people, whether or not they ever knew they wanted it.

Featuring:

Motion Gallery: Projection Mapping

Tripping the light fantastic

You really can't believe your eyes these days — not when you're exposed to Projection Mapping. Shining stars in this issue's DVD are 17 leading international studios and designers who specialise in making magic by playing with our optical perceptions, creating imaginative illusions in real time in the real world.

As the X-Files had it, what can be imagined can be achieved. Lighting artists have long dreamed of being able to "paint" on a real canvas and now it's happened: with Projection Mapping, buildings, vehicles, even the human body can be used to create astounding 3D effects on their surfaces. Add in synchronised sound and interactive participation and a magical new technique has come into being that has to be seen to be believed.

Creative Country: Slovenia

Packing a powerful punch for a small player

With only a third of Hong Kong's population, and a land-mass half the size of Switzerland, Slovenia has only been an independent country for 20 years, but it has a rich heritage of both Slavic and Western culture and its people are naturally artistically inclined. So where does this leave the local design scene? In the midst of an exciting transition is where.